Post Preview Day

David Otero
Sports Editor

Today is LIU Post Pride Day! At the Pratt Center tonight, both the women’s and men’s basketball teams will square off against Dowling College. Fans that attend the game are encouraged to wear green for a “Green Out.” Giveaways and other promotions will be available for those who join in the festivities.

The first game on the schedule is the East Coast Conference rivalry between the Lady Pioneers (12-5) and the Dowling Golden Lions (15-2). In its most recent game on Saturday, January 26, the Lady Pioneers lost to the Bridgeport Purple Knights 72-66. The last three games for LIU Post have been on the road, but the Lady Pioneers return back home tonight after winning only one of those contests. However one statistic you cannot ignore is that the Lady Pioneers are undefeated at home this season. The team owns a 7-0 record when playing in front of family, friends and fans in the friendly confines of the Pratt Center.

The Lady Pioneers are led in scoring by senior forward Nicolette Marciniak. She averages just under a double-double for the campaign with 15 points and more than 9 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Alexis Peters is the only other player averaging double figures in scoring as she puts up 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game.

On the flipside, the Golden Lions are the top team in the ECC, as it owns a 15-2 overall record and a perfect 9-0 record within the conference. The Golden Lions have won 10 consecutive games and the team’s last loss was back on December 11 when it was edged out by Bentley University. On the road this year, the Golden Lions are 4-1.

The Golden Lions have an extremely deep team, but the team is clearly led by senior forward Danielle Wilson. She played three seasons at Baylor University. Yes, Baylor; as in the top Division I college basketball team in the country. This season at Dowling, Wilson is having her way, dropping 17 points and grabbing nearly 11 rebounds per night. By the way, the last time LIU Post and Dowling faced each other was back on December 4. Dowling won at home by a final score of 57-46.

Just in case you wanted another cool storyline about this game, here it is: senior guard Ashley Caggiano of the Lady Pioneers will be facing off against her sister, Nicole, of the Golden Lions.

The LIU Post men’s basketball team also has a 12-5 overall record, it boasts a 7-2 record within the ECC. Exactly like the women’s team of LIU Post, the Pioneers have lost two of the last three games (to NYIT and Bridgeport). In the most recent contest, the Pioneers fell 82-74 to the Purple Knights. In the loss, junior forward Vaughn Allen was unstoppable and reached a career-high 33 points and also secured 14 rebounds along the way.

Tonight the Pioneers return home, which has treated the team well this season as the Pioneers are 7-1 at the Pratt Center. The Pioneers are led by two of the top scorers in the East Coast Conference. Senior guard Tobin Carberry is number one in the conference as he puts up 18.4 points per game. Also, Allen is fourth with 17.4 points per game. Allen is also second in the conference in rebounding per game (9.2) and field goal percentage (55.3 percent).

The Golden Lions are 7-10 overall and 4-5 in the ECC. In the most recent game on Saturday, the team suffered a tough loss to Saint Thomas Aquinas College by a final score of 68-66. However prior to that, the team has won four games in a row. The Golden Lions have three players that score at least 10 points per game, but the team is jumpstarted by sophomore guard Darien Davis who averages 12.5 points per contest. Earlier in the year when LIU Post and Dowling faced each other, the Pioneers had the upper hand as it won 77-67 on the road.

All of your coverage of LIU Post basketball can be found on 88.1 FM and WCWP.org. Pregame for the women’s game starts at 4:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Then the men’s game will follow with a scheduled 7:30 p.m. tipoff. So go to the Pratt Center tonight, show your Post Pride, wear the color green, cheer on your fellow Pioneers and have a great time!